Brent Rooker will be an All-Star in 2023 (even if it feels like an “everybody gets a trophy” moment now that the Athletics are represented) and will hit .246 and 30 that season. He had a home run, 69 RBIs, and 61 RBIs, with an OPS of .817. (He also recorded 172 strikeouts, but more on that later.)
Rooker got off to a slow start this year, hitting .206 with five home runs, 13 RBIs, 31 strikeouts and a .769 OPS from March to April. This month has been a completely different ballgame, with the 29-year-old batting .377 with five home runs, 15 RBIs, 13 RBIs and a 1.186 OPS in 14 games. (Those numbers looked even better until he went 1-for-12 in three games through Friday.)
This hot development made Rooker the most added player in the ESPN league last week, but it begged the question: Is he real, or is he a fantasy player before we know if he’s real? Is he just a hot power hitter who disappears from the world or is he available in your league?
Among players with at least 130 at-bats, Rooker entered Friday tied with six other players for fourth-most home runs, fifth in slugging percentage, 24th in RBIs, 30th in on-base percentage and 33rd in average. I came out on top. He has a walk rate of 50.
His Statcast page shows a ton of red as he ranks in the top 8 percent of the majors in exit velocity and maximum exit velocity, and in the top 2 percent in xSLG. He is in the top 3% in his WOBA and in the top 4% in xWOBA. He also ranks in the 85th percentile for hard hit rate and the 93rd percentile for barrel rate. His contacts have also improved.
But despite that, there are concerns that this notable record is just another streak by a power hitter with Cal Lowry having a more average vibe. (In 2023, Lowry batted .218 with 30 home runs, 75 RBIs, 78 RBIs, a walk rate of 10.7 percent, and a strikeout rate of 34.7 percent in 145 games. Rooker batted .246 with 30 home runs, 69 RBIs, and 61 RBIs. Lowry and Rooker entered Friday with 10 home runs, 21 RBIs, and similar walk and strikeout rates in 137 games. )
Rooker’s 31.4 percent strikeout rate is the 14th worst in the majors, which can make him virtually useless (hitting against a weak Athletics lineup doesn’t help either). And it’s happened before.
Rooker got off to a strong start in April 2023, batting .353 with nine home runs, 22 RBIs, 16 strikeouts, and a 1.245 OPS in 22 games. Over the next 56 games, he batted .208 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs, 76 strikeouts (35.3 percent of at-bats) and a .672 OPS. In May he hit .198 and in June he hit .191. In his final 115 games, he batted .228 with 156 strikeouts (35.5 percent).
During this hot stretch to start this month, he also had a BABIP of .417, which is not sustainable. But Roto Rage didn’t need to tell him Rooker, a career .238 hitter, wasn’t going to hit like this for the rest of his games.
Here’s what you need to know: If you have Rooker on your roster, now is the best time to test the trade market. Or they can ride out his strong momentum. Even if he’s not on your roster, he’s available in your league and if you need a power boost, Rooker will give you what you need (and he’ll completely overwhelm Lowry’s average (It doesn’t mean it’s better.)
He has legitimate power. However, you need to make sure your team has the right depth to handle the inevitable cold stretches. Because he gets cold.
big hit
Reese Olson SP, Tigers
Although he has yet to win, he has recorded a 0.47 ERA and .097 opponents’ average in the past three starts, and a 1.21 ERA and .159 opponents’ average in the past six games.
Max Kepler OF, twins
In his first 22 games since returning from the IL, he is batting .375 with three home runs, 17 RBIs, 13 RBIs, one stolen base, and a 1.050 OPS.
Garrett Crochet SP, White Sox
This month, he started the first three games while maintaining an ERA of 0.53, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 23 wins and 3 losses, and an opponent average of .177.
Abraham Toro 1B/2B/3B, Track and Field
He has had at least one hit in 16 of his last 20 games, posting 28 hits in 77 at bats (.364), two home runs, nine RBIs, 14 RBIs and a .955 OPS.
big whiff
Cedric Mullins OF, Orioles
In his first 30 at-bats this month, he entered Friday with two hits (.067 batting average), no home runs or RBIs, one RBI, 13 strikeouts, and a .197 OPS. He has 7 hits for 64 at bats (.109 batting average) and 19 strikeouts in 20 games since April 20.
Sonny Gray SP, Cardinals
In his past two starts, he allowed 15 hits, 11 earned runs, four home runs, a .326 batting average, and a 1.068 OPS.
Jake Berger 3B, Marlins
He struggled in his first nine games on the IL, hitting 3-for-34 (.088) with no home runs, no RBIs, 10 strikeouts, and a .176 OPS.
Lance Lynn SP, Cardinals
In his first three starts this month (14 square innings/₃ innings), he allowed 14 runs (12 earned), went 0-2, had an ERA of 7.36, and an opponents average of .298.
check the swing
– In the first seven games of this month, he had no hits in 27 at-bats and struck out 10, but paul goldschmidt Over the next five games, he responded with a .304 batting average, two home runs, four RBIs, and a .925 OPS.
– reed detmers He hasn’t won since April 12, and has allowed 27 runs (26 earned), 35 hits, and 11 walks in his past five starts, going 0-4 with an ERA of 8.46, an opponent average of .307, and an OPS of .941. .
– Washington Closer Kyle Finnegan He has allowed two hits in his past 12 appearances, while going 1-0 with nine saves in nine chances, holding opponents to a .056 batting average. He tied Ryan Helsley for the league lead in saves (13) on Friday and was still eligible for over 45 percent of ESPN leagues.
– Even though the Royals are nearby. james mcarthur He has recorded three saves in his past three appearances (he entered the weekend with 10 saves of the season), and in his first six appearances he was 0-2 with two saves, an ERA of 9.00, and an opponent batting average of .370. He allowed four home runs. this month.
Learn everything you need to know about MLB betting
– Cubs Javier Assad He started the first three games this month and is 2-0 with a 0.55 ERA, 15 strikeouts, and an opponent batting average of .194. What’s more, he hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his nine starts, and has allowed less than one earned run in each of his past six starts. He is registered in less than 50% of his ESPN leagues.
– Pittsburgh Paul Skeens On Friday, he revealed why fantasy owners rushed to add him after he was called up to the majors. Not only did he strike out the first seven batters he faced, he also had 11 strikeouts in six no-hitter innings. He also threw 12 pitches over 100 mph. Maybe he’s in one of his 20% of his ESPN leagues where he’s available. Check it out! Quickly!
– Tommy Pham He currently serves as the White Sox’s leadoff batter. The White Sox are one of the most offensive teams in the majors, if not the worst. In the eight games in which he led the batting average before Friday, he was batting .367 with five RBIs, one stolen base and an .858 OPS. In his first 13 games this month, he is batting .306 with two home runs, 10 RBIs, six RBIs and an .860 OPS.
This week’s team name
Rhys Witherspoon
